This invention relates to image processing technologies generally and particularly to electronic systems capable of smoothing a generalized polygon.
As digital image processing technologies continue to advance rapidly, in addition to the fidelity of image data, viewers of such image data also begin to place emphasis on the visual appeal of the image.
More specifically, typical considerations in image representation are the accuracy of image data, intelligibility criteria for measuring the quality of the image and the performance of a processing technique. Various techniques have been developed to address each of the mentioned areas. Some examples of the techniques are the uses of Fourier transforms, sampling and quantization techniques, filtering algorithms and enhancement algorithms.
However, even when an image is accurately represented, certain image features may still remain undesirable. For instance, rough or sharp edges may be subjectively unappealing to some viewers. In order to further improve an image""s visual appeal to such viewers, a method and apparatus is needed to modify the image""s ill-favored features.
A method and apparatus of smoothing a generalized polygon is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of smoothing a generalized polygon identifies a vertex of the generalized polygon with a sharp corner and replaces the sharp corner with a rounding arc.
In another embodiment, a circle is drawn using the identified vertex as a center of the circle. The embodiment further identifies appropriate intersection points between the circle and the generalized polygon. With the intersection points identified, the embodiment then formulates line segments between the intersection points and the vertex, and proceeds to replace the sharp corner between the intersection points with the rounding arc. The rounding arc has the intersection points as its end points and has the formulated lines as its tangents.